The Yogi Adityanath-led Uttar Pradesh government is leaving no stone unturned to make the Divya Kumbh, Bhavya Kumbh (Divine and Grand Kumbh) a grand success. From a social media warrior (SMW) team, to hiring a network of air, river and road ambulances, preparations are on in full swing for the holy event scheduled to be held at Allahabad (Prayagraj) from 14 January to 4 March 2019.
A member of the Prayagraj Mela Authority (PMA) told The Sunday Guardian: “We have been working for a long time to make the upcoming Kumbh Mela a grand event. For that, we are focusing on multiple aspects, of which the most prominent is to avert any mishap and provide safety and security to the pilgrims. To ensure this, the UP government is hiring a fleet of ambulances that can serve the devotees in need. The fleet will have air, water and road ambulances.”
The PMA, a permanent body to oversee the Kumbh Mela, was formed by passing legislation; the divisional commission of Prayagraj serves as its chairperson, while the district magistrate and inspector general of police act as vice-chairpersons. Mela officers and other district officials are also members of the PMA.
“The tender for providing air ambulance facilities at the Kumbh Mela has already been issued and the process will be completed by 26 November. After completing the tendering formalities, companies will be selected for providing air ambulance services. Under the bid, the demand for the number of air ambulances has been kept at 10,” the official said.
“The tender for providing ambulances that can operate through river and road has also been issued and the process for this bid, too, will complete by 26 November. These ambulances will work in coordination with hospitals across the cities and nearby states,” official said.
According to officials of the PMA, apart from the focus on strengthening of medical facilities, the administration is also working to avert a situation in which hoaxes have been spread, something that is usual during such events in the country. For this, the PMA has formed the SMW that will keep a vigil on social media and prevent the spread of hoaxes during the mela.
On the condition of anonymity, a member of the PMA told The Sunday Guardian: “The work of the SMW will be to keep vigil on social media and inform the authorities if any hoax information was being spread during the mela. The SMW team has members from the Mela Mitras, comprising 50,000 volunteers selected to assist the administration during the mela. The SMW members are being trained by officials of the UP administration.”
The importance of the Kumbh for the Yogi government can be understood from the budget that has been sanctioned for the mela. In 2018, the UP government allotted a massive Rs 2,000 crore for the 49-day-long Kumbh Mela, which is over twice the amount spent on the last Kumbh held in 2013.
The “Maha Kumbh” is held every 12 years in Allahabad, with Ardh Kumbhs being organised every six years on a rotational basis in the four riverside towns of Allahabad, Haridwar, Nasik and Ujjain. The Kumbh Mela is a mass Hindu pilgrimage where people gather to take a bath in the sacred river.
Three crore pilgrims are expected to be in Allahabad on a single day—on 4 February 2019, that is “Mauni Amavasya”, one of the six holy bathing days at the Kumbh. Also, the UP administration is expecting 10 lakh foreigners at the Kumbh, with an additional 20 lakh NRIs, according to the PMA.
The Kumbh Mela next year will set unparalleled benchmarks in size and grandeur. The new edition of the mela is an important event for the Bharatiya Janata Party, as it is being held just ahead of the 2019 general elections.